Precision farming targets major threat to soybean crops

July 17, 2015

[7/17/15] A team of University of Minnesota researchers is working to give farmers better tools and techniques to protect their crops from pests like the soybean aphid. Using high-tech robotics and sensors and computer modeling software, the team aims to develop faster and more efficient methods of monitoring crops that help farmers make informed decisions on exactly when and where to apply pesticides. Demoz Gebre-Egziabher (CSE) Ian MacRae, and Bob Koch are taking this reasearch 'to the skies.' They have equipped small, remote-controlled planes, known as uninhabited aerial vehicles, or UAVs, with specific types of sensors that can detect near-infrared light, which is invisible to the naked eye. Read the full article